Written Answers Monday 18 January 2010

Scottish Executive

Alcohol

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated annual consumption of pure alcohol per litre per head of population of people aged 16 and over has been in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) age group and (b) gender.

Shona Robison: Data on consumption of pure alcohol are not available. Data on alcohol sales are often used as a proxy for consumption but it should be noted that this does not necessarily measure the same thing.

  The following table provides data on annual sales of pure alcohol, calculated as litres per head of population aged 16+. Further age and gender breakdowns are not available. Scottish data are only currently available from 2005 onwards.

  Sales of Pure Alcohol, Litres per Head of Population Aged 16+, Scotland

  

Year1
2005
2006
2007
2008
2008 X3
2009 X2,4


Litres of pure alcohol per head of population aged 16+
11.9
11.8
11.9
11.6
11.7
11.8



  Source: NHS Health Scotland (data supplied from the Nielsen Company).

  Notes:

  1. Data relate to calendar years.

  2. Data for 2009 are currently only available up to end September 2009 for on sales and week ending 3 October 2009 for off sales. The figures for 2009X therefore represent the 12 month period to end September 2009 for on sales and week ending 3 October 2009 for off sales.

  3. A comparable period has been provided for 2008 (column titled 2008X) which covers the 12 month period to end September 2008 for on sales and week ending 4 October 2008 for off sales.

  4. The 2009 population figure is based on a projection as the mid-year estimate has not been published yet.

Alcohol

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated alcohol abstention rate is, broken down by gender.

Shona Robison: According to the 2008 Scottish Health Survey, 10% of men and 13% of women reported that they have never drunk alcohol or no longer drink alcohol.

Carers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the maximum period is that an older person is required to wait for an assessment of care needs by a local authority.

Shona Robison: On 28 September 2009, the Scottish Government and COSLA issued to local authorities joint guidance on National Standard Eligibility Criteria and Waiting Times for the Personal and Nursing Care of Older People. The guidance states that there will be, from 1 December, a national standard maximum waiting time, for people assessed as being at critical or substantial risk, of six weeks from confirmation of need to delivery of assessed personal and/or nursing care services. Arrangements for monitoring of the national standard will be implemented shortly.

  The guidance also makes it clear that it is not appropriate for delays with assessment processes to be used to manage access to or demand for social care services. However, in partnership with COSLA, we will keep under review the information we are asking councils to provide from April 2010 on the actual timescales between first referral and confirmation of need and consider what appropriate standard or standards might be applied in future.

Carers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many carers have received carers assessments since May 2007.

Shona Robison: The information has never been held centrally.

  The Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, as amended by the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002 ("the 2002 Act"), gives substantial and regular carers the right to request an assessment of their ability to care. The Children (Scotland) Act 1995, as amended by the 2002 Act, gives substantial and regular carers of a child with disabilities the right to request an assessment of their ability to care.

  Our framework of outcomes for carers and service users, Talking Points, focuses on the outcomes that carers wish to achieve from the assessment process. Our National Minimum Information Standards reiterate this position.

  We are working with partners so that they better understand the importance of the carer’s assessment, to increase uptake and to advance this as a means of ensuring better outcomes for unpaid carers in Scotland.

  The Carers Strategy for Scotland, to be published in the first half of this year, will highlight good practice in the carrying out of carers and young carers’ assessments.

Central Heating

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a boiler scrappage scheme, similar to that in England.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a boiler scrappage scheme similar to that on offer in England.

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a boiler scrappage scheme.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government’s recent consultation on an Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland, which closed on 5 January 2010, welcomed views on any energy saving scheme, including potential incentives to replace inefficient boilers. We will now analyse responses to the consultation and develop the final action plan, which will be published in the spring.

  Our £2 million Energy Saving Scotland Home Loans pathfinder initiative is already providing interest-free loans to help Scottish householders upgrade to a more energy efficient boiler. We are also providing free or discounted boilers to thousands of households through the Energy Assistance Package, aimed at tackling the causes of fuel poverty and backed by £60 million this financial year.

Central Heating

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed a boiler scrappage scheme with the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum.

Alex Neil: The subject of boiler scrappage schemes is to be included on the agenda of the next meeting of the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum on 26 January 2010.

Central Heating

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the economic and environmental benefits of introducing a boiler scrappage scheme similar to that on offer in England.

Jim Mather: The Scottish Government will consider the economic and environmental benefits of a range of energy saving scheme options, including potential incentives for replacing inefficient boilers, in the context of the development of our Energy Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland, which will be published in the spring.

Community Care

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28876 by Shona Robison on 19 November 2009, what its position is on the consistency of care charges set by local authorities.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28876 by Shona Robison on 19 November 2009, what its position is on the delivery of consistency by the updated guidance on care charging issued in April 2009.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28876 by Shona Robison on 19 November 2009, how it is monitoring the application of guidance on care charging.

Shona Robison: COSLA has issued guidance on charging for non-residential social care services. The aim of that guidance is to achieve consistency across local authorities. The guidance is not intended to produce uniformity but to provide discretion to councils to establish their own charging policies in order to align with local priorities and local needs.

  COSLA have assured the Scottish Government that they will respond to public concern on charging for home care by ensuring that local authorities are better sighted on the charging regimes in place across Scotland. They are also exploring the possibility of a web-based resource for councils to ensure that individual charging policies could be effectively bench-marked.

Diabetes

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to use optometrists in diabetic retinopathy screening, given that most now have retinal cameras.

Shona Robison: The issue of community optometrists’ involvement in the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening (DRS) Programme was raised in the consultation on the revision of the 2006 Diabetes Action Plan. Further thinking on the subject will be set out in the revised action plan, which we expect the Scottish Diabetes Group to submit later this year. This will draw on the assessment of a pilot project in NHS Highland and NHS Borders, under which community optometrists have captured retinal images for the DRS Programme.

Digital Technology

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to secure a share of the £1 billion announced by the UK Government on 7 January 2010 for the roll-out of super-fast broadband.

Jim Mather: Whilst it is not yet known how the UK Government will allocate the £1 billion that it announced on 7 January 2010 for the roll-out of next-generation broadband, the Scottish Government will continue to liaise with the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), as part of its bilateral engagement on wider Digital Britain telecoms issues, to ensure that Scottish interests are fully represented as the UK Government takes forward this work. In addition, the Scottish Government is currently considering BIS’s current consultation on this issue, and will issue an appropriate response in due course.

Equalities

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle inequalities, given that, according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2009, Templehall, Gallatown and Sinclairtown in Kirkcaldy have remained in the top 15% most deprived areas in Scotland while parts of Linktown, Seafield and the West of Burntisland have moved into this category.

Alex Neil: In partnership with local government the Scottish Government has set out an overarching framework for tackling inequalities in "Achieving our Potential" and the linked social frameworks "Equally Well" and "Early Years". These are available on the Scottish Government website  http://www.scotland.gov.uk .

  Within this context the Scottish Government is providing both substantial resources and local flexibility on investment to local authorities through the annual local government finance settlements.

Gypsies/Travellers

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that the needs of Gypsies/Travellers are taken into account in policy development.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government Race Equality Statement, published in December 2008, highlights the needs of Gypsies/Travellers as a priority in race equality work.

  We are working to make sure that the policies we develop and the activities we undertake can be of benefit across all our communities. To achieve this we are committed to mainstreaming equality across all that we do – by integrating equality considerations into our everyday work. Tools such as Equality Impact Assessment ensure that the impact on different groups - including Gypsies/Travellers - is considered.

Gypsies/Travellers

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the prevalence and duties of local authority-based Gypsy/Traveller liaison officers.

Alex Neil: The appointment of Gypsy/Traveller Liaison Officers is the responsibility of individual local authorities and the Scottish Government does not routinely monitor this.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that vulnerable patients with muscular dystrophy have access to NHS-funded muscular dystrophy care advisors.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is aware of the value people living with muscular dystrophy, and their families, attach to the support provided by the two muscular dystrophy care advisors in Scotland.

  The issue of the funding of these posts is currently being considered in the context of the bids which the NHS Regional Planning Groups have submitted for investment in Year 3 of the National Delivery Plan for Specialist Children’s Services.

Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many scheduled operations were or have been cancelled or delayed in December 2009 and January 2010 to make way for fracture patients requiring operations after slipping on ice, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Centrally collected, validated statistics do not carry information on the reasons why scheduled operations or procedures are cancelled or delayed.

  In the event that an operation or procedure is cancelled by the service, for whatever reason, the patient would be made a further, reasonable offer as soon as possible which should not be detrimental to the patient’s waiting time.

  Official statistics relating to cancellations of outpatient attendances and inpatient/day case treatment are published as part of the quarterly update to the Waiting Times and Waiting Lists section of the Information Services Division’s (ISD) website (http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/3454.html).

  The next publication is scheduled for 23 February 2010 and will include cancellation statistics up to the quarter ending 31 December 2009 derived from the National Waiting Times Data Warehouse.

  The subsequent publication is scheduled for 25 May 2010 and will include statistics up to the quarter ending 31 March 2010.

Health

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many procedures have been cancelled due to recent winter pressures, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Centrally collected, validated statistics do not carry information on the reasons why scheduled operations or procedures are cancelled or delayed.

  In the event that an operation or procedure is cancelled by the service, for whatever reason, the patient would be made a further, reasonable offer as soon as possible which should not be detrimental to the patient’s waiting time.

  Official statistics relating to cancellations of outpatient attendances and inpatient/day case treatment are published as part of the quarterly update to the waiting times and waiting lists section of the Information Services Division’s (ISD) website (http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/3454.html).

  The next publication is scheduled for 23 February 2010 and will include cancellation statistics up to the quarter ending 31 December 2009 derived from the National Waiting Times Data Warehouse.

  The subsequent publication is scheduled for 25 May 2010 and will include statistics up to the quarter ending 31 March 2010.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made to move from a paper-based to an electronic referral system for acute care.

Nicola Sturgeon: The proportion of GP-to-hospital referrals made electronically rather than on paper has increased from 75% in October 2008 to 91% in November 2009.

  The national eReferral team is supporting NHS boards to continue to improve their performance.

Housing

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the charges made for factoring services by housing associations and social landlords in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond.

  His response is as follows:

  Some registered social landlords set up subsidiaries to run their factoring services. These subsidiaries are not subject to our full financial analysis. However, from the information submitted to us by registered social landlords operating in Glasgow and the West of Scotland we know that in 2008-09 they received income of around £10.6 million for providing services to owners of around 58,000 properties. This equates to an average annual charge of £183 per property or £45 per quarter. We have however included Glasgow Housing Association’s subsidiary in that £10.6 million figure due to its material effect on the sector.

  It is likely that the figure of £10.6 million above covers administrative charges and the costs of routine factoring services but not all the costs of major capital works recharged to owners.

Housing

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it offers to housing associations and social landlords providing factoring services.

Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond.

  His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Housing Regulator publishes performance standards and self-assessment guidance on factoring on our website. We expect landlords to follow the principles of these standards in their activities and where appropriate we test landlord performance against these during our inspections.

  Since March 2009 the Scottish Government has been working with key industry, consumer and housing stakeholders (including the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations) to establish a national accreditation scheme for residential property managers. The scheme will be voluntary, industry-led and open to all sectors offering property management and land maintenance services (housing associations, local authorities, private firms, sheltered housing and land maintenance companies – including land owning land maintenance companies).

Housing

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what role the Scottish Housing Regulator has in relation to factoring services provided by housing associations and social landlords.

Alex Neil: I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond.

  His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Housing Regulator’s overall purpose is to regulate to:

  protect the interests of current and future tenants, and other service users;

  ensure the continuing provision of good quality social housing in terms of decent homes, good services, value for money and financial viability, and

  maintain the confidence of funders.

  We publish performance standards and self-assessment guidance on factoring. We expect landlords to follow the principles of these standards in their activities. Where appropriate or when concerns have been raised by service users we test landlord performance against these principles during our inspections and other regulatory engagement.

  Our analysis of registered social landlords finances includes an assessment of the impact any factoring activities have on their core business. We will discuss any concerns that may arise from this assessment with the landlord.

Housing (Scotland) Act 1988

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to protect tenancies under the Housing Act 1988 in relation to market rents.

Alex Neil: The Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 established assured and short assured tenancies. In these tenancies, unlike regulated tenancies, private landlords can set rents at market rates. Deregulation allowed the market to regulate the balance between demand and supply in the private rented sector.

  However, there are protections for private tenants. Under sections 24 and 25 of the 1988 act, a tenant with an assured tenancy can apply to the Private Rented Housing Panel if the landlord proposes to increase the rent and the tenant does not agree that the proposed level is reasonable. A Private Rented Housing Committee will then determine a market rent for the property. Under section 34, a tenant with a short assured tenancy can ask a Private Rented Housing Committee to set a reasonable rent, which it will do if the rent being charged is significantly higher than that level.

  The Scottish Government does not consider that it would be appropriate for it to intervene in the setting of rent levels for assured and short assured tenancies, which could discourage landlords from making properties available to let and lead to an increase in homelessness. As our Review of the Private Rented Sector made clear, we are committed to encouraging the development of the private rented sector so that it can play a full part in providing good quality accommodation to meet a range of housing needs.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have appeared in the High Court of Justiciary in the last three years and how many pled guilty at the first diet and received the appropriate discounted sentence in accordance with the Bonomy reforms.

Frank Mulholland: The tables below shows how many accused were indicted to the High Court, and how many High Court cases were dealt with by plea or by trial in each financial year since 2006.

  Information in relation to discounted sentences is not available.

  

 
FY 2006-07
FY 2007-08
FY 2008-09


Accused indicted in the High Court
1,320
1,092
1,118



  Notes:

  1. The number of cases dealt with in a year does not match the number of accused – a case may contain more than one accused.

  2. The information for this question has been extracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s Case Management Database. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processing of reports submitted to procurators fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies. If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency the database will record details only of the amended charge.

  3. The database is charge-based. The figures quoted therefore relate to the number of charges rather than the number of individuals charged or the number of incidents that gave rise to such charges.

  

 
FY 2006-07
FY 2007-08
FY 2008-09


High Court Case Disposals - Total
839
787
639


Cases dealt with by early plea
134
16%
126
16%
107
17%


Cases dealt with by plea at preliminary hearing
295
35%
243
31%
158
25%


Cases disposed of by plea at trial
81
10%
95
12%
78
12%


Cases disposed of by trial
329
39%
323
41%
296
46%



  Note: 4. "Cases dealt with by early plea" refers to cases dealt with in terms of section 76 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995.

Ministerial Meetings

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings or discussions took place between the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and chief officers of NHS boards between 18 December 2009 and 6 January 2010.

Nicola Sturgeon: Officials in the Scottish Government Health Directorates have maintained daily contact throughout the period with the senior management teams of all NHS boards, including the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS 24, to discuss a range of current issues. In view of the recent severe weather, these discussions have had a strong focus on any additional pressures on NHS services in Scotland and how NHS boards have been managing them. I received regular situation reports.

  I also attended regular meetings of the Cabinet Sub Committee, CSC-SGORR. This committee sets the Scottish Government’s strategic response priorities and ensures that the necessary government resources are being brought to bear to support responders in dealing with severe weather issues.

NHS Expenditure

Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on bottled water by each NHS board in each year since 1999.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

NHS Hospitals

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28475 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 November 2009, what action it is taking to increase the number of single rooms.

Nicola Sturgeon: In November 2008, I announced that, with immediate effect, all new build hospital projects should provide 100% provision of single room accommodation, and that there should be a move to a minimum of 50% provision in future refurbishment projects. This policy was implemented with immediate effect to schemes in excess of board’s delegated limits that had not yet submitted outline business cases. For schemes within delegated limits it was to be applied to schemes that had not yet commenced procurement.

  Information on all projects that may affect the number of single rooms available in 2010-11 is not held centrally. However, information is available on major* projects. The information below therefore covers a significant proportion of developments.

  Known Projects Operational in 2010-11

  

NHS Board
Project
No. of Single Rooms
Percentage of Total
No of Single Rooms Greater than Current Provision


Ayrshire and Arran
Girvan Community Hospitals
14
53%
14


Forth Valley
New Acute Hospital - Larbert
282
64%
126


Forth Valley
Mental Health facility - Larbert
105
100%
45


Grampian
Chalmers Hospital
30
100%
17


Highland
Sutherland Older Peoples Services – Bonar Bridge
22
100%
20


Lothian
Midlothian Community Hospital
80
91%
69



  Note: *Major projects are those above NHS board delegated limits - £10 million for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian, £5 million for the other territorial NHS boards.

NHS Hospitals

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-28475 by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 November 2009, which hospitals have existing plans to increase the number of single rooms in 2010-11.

Nicola Sturgeon: In November 2008, I announced that, with immediate effect, all new build hospital projects should provide 100% provision of single room accommodation, and that there should be a move to a minimum of 50% provision in future refurbishment projects. This policy was implemented with immediate effect to schemes in excess of board’s delegated limits that had not yet submitted outline business cases. For schemes within delegated limits it was to be applied to schemes that had not yet commenced procurement.

  Information on all projects that may affect the number of single rooms available in 2010-11 is not held centrally. However, information is available on major* projects. The information below therefore covers a significant proportion of developments.

  Known Projects Operational in 2010-11

  

NHS Board
Project
No. of Single Rooms
Percentage of Total
No of Single Rooms Greater than Current Provision


Ayrshire and Arran
Girvan Community Hospitals
14
53%
14


Forth Valley
New Acute Hospital - Larbert
282
64%
126


Forth Valley
Mental Health facility - Larbert
105
100%
45


Grampian
Chalmers Hospital
30
100%
17


Highland
Sutherland Older Peoples Services – Bonar Bridge
22
100%
20


Lothian
Midlothian Community Hospital
80
91%
69



  Note: *Major projects are those above NHS board delegated limits - £10 million for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian, £5 million for the other territorial NHS boards.

NHS Services

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people who would otherwise have qualified were denied patient transport due to recent winter pressures, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: Patient Transport Service (PTS) journeys have only been cancelled due to adverse weather conditions where access was significantly compromised or where patients or staff were placed at risk and every effort has been made by the Scottish Ambulance Service, working very closely with local NHS Boards, to convey as many patients as possible to clinics and appointments. In all but the most extreme conditions the service has continued to convey renal, oncology and other high priority or at risk patients.

  The Scottish Ambulance Service has provided the following table which shows the number of cancellations of PTS journeys due to bad weather conditions. The figures are broken down for a three week period and are also shown as a percentage of total planned journeys.

  

Week
Bad Weather Cancellations


w/c 21 December 2009
2,918
9.9%


w/c 28 December 2009
1,058
4.7%


w/c 4 January 2010
3,931
13.7%



  The Scottish Ambulance Service is working with NHS boards and individual clinics to ensure any necessary rescheduling is undertaken as soon as possible.

NHS Staff

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive for how long NHS Lanarkshire doctors are expected to support NHS 24 in providing additional triage cover over weekends.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS 24 employs or contracts with GPs in partner health boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, to respond to agreed levels of pre-prioritised calls from patients in their area. These calls are funded by NHS 24.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29764 by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 January 2010, how many senior charge nurses have direct access to budgets for urgent repairs and replacement equipment.

Nicola Sturgeon: The HAI National Action Plan requires NHS boards to have an identified budget for urgent repairs and replacement equipment available to senior charge nurses. All NHS boards have confirmed that they comply with this aspect of the action plan.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29763 by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 January 2010, whether every senior charge nurse has direct responsibility for the deployment of cleaning staff and, if not, where this responsibility lies.

Nicola Sturgeon: Not all Senior Charge Nurses (SCNs) have direct responsibility for the routine deployment of cleaning staff. In some areas this responsibility lies with Domestic Supervisors. However, Domestic Supervisors will respond to requests from SCNs to address any specific issues identified through their role of promoting a clean and safe environment for staff, patients and visitors.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether distinction awards made to consultants are added to salaries and therefore reflected in pension provision.

Nicola Sturgeon: Yes.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of distinction awards made to consultants was in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 and has been in 2009-10, broken down by number of consultants.

Nicola Sturgeon: The number of award holders and the associated funding allocated to the NHS boards in Scotland in the three most recent financial years is as follows:

  

Financial Year
Number of Award Holders
Funding allocated to boards for Distinction Awards (£)


2007-08
524
24,164,310


2008-09
552
26,460,756


2009-10
578
27,961,798

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total pension provision for retired consultants with distinction awards was in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09 and has been in 2009-10 and what proportion of that pension provision can be attributed to distinction awards.

Nicola Sturgeon: NHS pensions including pensions for consultants are the responsibility of the Scottish Public Pension Agency (SPPA). Distinction Awards are consolidated into consultant salaries and so SPPA does not hold the information in the detail requested.

NHS Staff

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive who decides on the granting of distinction awards to consultants and whether it will detail the professional background of those involved.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards (SACDA) a non-departmental public body, acts on behalf of Scottish ministers in deciding which individual medical and dental consultants in the NHS in Scotland should receive distinction awards for outstanding professional work.

  Members are appointed by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing and they must adhere to a code of conduct and ethical standards in public life. Basic details of SACDA Committee Members and Advisers together with their professional status can be found on the SACDA website at http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sacda. More details on the committee members are published within the annual report which is also available on the SACDA website under the section called annual report.

NHS Waiting Times

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients are on a waiting list for neuromodulation surgery for pain relief.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not available centrally.

NHS Waiting Times

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether neuromodulation surgery for pain relief is included in its waiting time targets.

Nicola Sturgeon: Neuromodulation surgery can be undertaken in an outpatient setting or as inpatient or day case treatment. The current 15 weeks waiting times standard for outpatients only relates to first outpatient consultation following referral and does not cover subsequent treatment undertaken in outpatients. Neuromodulation surgery undertaken as either inpatient or day case is covered by the current 15 weeks maximum waiting time standard.

  Neuromodulation surgery undertaken in an outpatient setting will however be covered by the 18 weeks referral to treatment target which is due to be delivered by the end of 2011. NHS boards are now working to reduce long waits in services previously excluded from waiting time standards to ensure delivery of the 18 weeks referral to treatment target.

NHS Waiting Times

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional measures have been put in place by NHS Lanarkshire and other agencies to manage delayed discharges effectively.

Shona Robison: NHS Lanarkshire have established a range of measures along with their local authority partners to ensure no patients are delayed in hospital for longer than necessary, but it is the "whole system" approach by the partnership which includes good communication between agencies and the use of flexible and responsive support services which collectively deliver good outcomes.

  The partnership in Lanarkshire has been successful in recording no patients delayed for longer than the agreed six week discharge period from April 2008 until October 2009. Unfortunately, due to an unexpected increase in hospital activity, eight patients were delayed at October in Lanarkshire hospitals. I understand the partnership has now recovered the position.

NHS Waiting Times

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding has been allocated by NHS Lanarkshire and other agencies to support additional measures implemented to manage delayed discharges.

Shona Robison: NHS boards and local authorities are expected to work within their combined resources to manage delayed discharge. £29 million previously earmarked for delayed discharge, was added to the overall local government settlement in 2008-09.

  The Lanarkshire partnership has been very successful in tackling delayed discharges. They have identified up to £500,000 to enhance routine services over the winter period to ensure that success continues.

Older People

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been treated for hypothermia during the recent cold weather conditions and what proportion was represented by individuals aged over 60.

Nicola Sturgeon: People with hypothermia may be treated in a number of different health care settings (for example; accident and emergency (A&E) departments, acute hospitals).

  The number of patients admitted to general acute hospitals with a diagnosis of hypothermia during this period will be available on publication of the acute hospital care section of ISD’s website scheduled for 28 September 2010. This publication will include detailed age and diagnosis specific information for hospital admissions based on SMR01 patient level discharge records up to the year ending 31 March 2010.

  According to management information, during the period 21 December 2009 to 3 January 2010, NHS boards reported around 55 patients attended A&E departments with a provisional diagnosis of hypothermia across NHSScotland. Approximately 50% of these were patients aged 60 or over.

  It should be noted that the management information quoted above is likely to be incomplete as the ability of A&E data systems to capture diagnosis based information varies between NHS boards. Interpretation should be made with caution.

Older People

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been treated for hypothermia in NHS Lothian during the recent cold weather conditions and what proportion was represented by individuals aged over 60.

Nicola Sturgeon: People with hypothermia may be treated in a number of different health care settings (for example; accident and emergency (A&E) departments, acute hospitals).

  The total number of people who have received treatment in these settings for hypothermia during the recent severe weather is not available from centrally collected, validated statistics.

  It is not possible to identify people with hypothermia attending A&E departments in NHS Lothian from local management information as A&E data systems do not hold diagnosis based information.

  The number of patients admitted to general acute hospitals with a diagnosis of hypothermia in NHS Lothian during this period will be available from National Statistics on publication of the Acute Hospital Care section of ISD’s website, scheduled for 28 September 2010. This publication will include detailed age and diagnosis specific information for hospital admissions based on SMR01 patient level discharge records up to the year ending 31 March 2010.

Older People

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been treated at emergency units in NHS Lothian due to falls during the recent cold weather conditions and what proportion was represented by individuals aged over 60.

Nicola Sturgeon: The precise number of people attending NHS Lothian emergency services due to falls during the recent severe weather is not available from centrally collected, validated statistics.

  According to provisional management information, during the period 28 December 2009 to 3 January 2010, there were approximately 37% more attendances at accident and emergency (A&E) departments in NHS Lothian, due to falls and fractures, when compared to the same period last year.

  Official statistics on A&E attendances up to 31 December 2009 will be published by Information Services Division on 24 February 2010 http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4024.html.

Older People

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many emergency hospital admissions in NHS Lothian can be attributed to the recent cold weather conditions and what proportion was represented by individuals aged over 60.

Nicola Sturgeon: Official statistics relating to emergency admissions to acute general hospitals in NHS Lothian are published as part of the quarterly update to the Acute Hospital Care section of the Information Services Division’s (ISD) website ( http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/3400.html ).

  The next publication is scheduled for 30 March 2010 and will include high level statistics up to the quarter ending 31 December 2009 based on ISD(S)1 aggregate data returns.

  The subsequent publication is scheduled for 29 June 2010 and will include high level statistics up to the quarter ending 31 March 2010.

  Publication of annual hospital activity, national statistics up to the year ending 31 March 2010 is scheduled for 28 September 2010 as part of the annual update to the Acute Hospital Care section of ISD’s website. These statistics will include detailed age and diagnosis specific information for emergency admissions based on SMR01 patient level discharge records.

  Whilst details of diagnoses on SMR01 records can be used to identify medical conditions likely to be related to cold weather, the data collection cannot attribute admissions due to prevailing cold weather per se.

Older People

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a helpline for older people who are housebound due to the current weather conditions through which they can access essential goods and services.

Shona Robison: Local authority social work departments operate emergency helplines and when contacted will ensure that all vulnerable housebound people receive essential goods and services whenever possible. The Scottish Government, local authorities and voluntary organisations are publicising the help available as set out in the answer to the question S3W-30510 on 18 January 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Older People

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available to older people who are housebound due to the current weather conditions and how such information is relayed.

Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is working with local authorities and local radio to help individuals in communities find help for themselves and others. We are publicising – through the Weather Wise section of the government’s website – local authority helpline numbers for those experiencing difficulties. In addition, local authorities and voluntary organisations are involved in a range of activities to publicise the help available and how to access it.

Pharmacies

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25345 by Shona Robison on 21 July 2009, whether Community Pharmacy Scotland has identified any instances where patient care has been directly affected because of the introduction of the direct-to-pharmacy scheme.

Shona Robison: We are aware that Community Pharmacy Scotland (CPS) has been collecting information from community pharmacists about supply difficulties. We understand from CPS that this information contains details of difficulties with supply but no clinical details about individual patients or the effect on their treatment.

Pharmacies

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25345 by Shona Robison on 21 July 2009 and following the monitoring of the direct-to-pharmacy scheme, what its position is on the impact of the new quota system on local pharmacists and their patients.

Shona Robison: While the choice of method of medicines distribution is a commercial decision by the individual pharmaceutical company, the Scottish Government expects patients to continue to receive the medicines they need promptly.

Prison Service

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer to questions S3W-30114 and S3W-30117 on  14 January 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Prison Service

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how ex-service personnel are supported in the prison estate.

Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Willie Pretswell, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  There are a wide variety of support services available to ex-service personnel within prison. In addition to the full range of services which are available to the general prison population (e.g. employability, housing, other community based services and financial help), in-reach general welfare support services are available from veterans agencies. These in-reach services have been available for some time and are currently being re-invigorated.

  Health and mental health interventions offered by SPS always follow an individualised assessment of need. In the case of ex-service personnel, this will include, where assessed as necessary, the intervention of forensic psychologists and mental health nurses to deliver cognitive behavioural clinical interventions to those diagnosed as suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Roads

Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have contacted the Scottish Government Resilience Room since 22 December 2009 regarding low levels of salt and grit and what the (a) date and means of initial contact, (b) date of the Scottish Government response and (c) action taken was, broken down by local authority.

Kenny MacAskill: Local authorities and trunk road operators have their own contracts with salt suppliers and government quite rightly cannot interfere with these. However, the Scottish Government is doing everything possible to support councils and operators in keeping disruption to a minimum during this difficult weather.

  Following discussion with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives on 28 December 2009, Scottish Resilience officials first e-mailed Scotland’s 32 local authorities on 29 December requesting information on salt/grit supplies. Returns were collated on 30 December and this data has been updated daily since 1 January 2010. To ensure that operators and suppliers work together to agree the most effective distribution and use of available salt supplies in order to minimise the risk to public safety, this information has been shared at a pan-Scotland level with COSLA, SOLACE, Transport Scotland and with regional resilience contacts. Information has also been collated at a UK level and shared with the three main UK salt suppliers, for their customers only, to inform their delivery schedules.

  Scottish Government has also established a Scottish Salt Cell, to support and advise councils and operators in managing the current supply and demand for salt and to explore options for securing alternative supplies.

Roads

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency plans it has in place for situations where a local authority exhausts its supplies of grit and salt and is unable to replenish them.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is doing everything possible to ensure that councils, trunk road operators and salt suppliers work together to ensure best use of available salt supplies in order minimise the risk to public safety. In the event of a local authority being at risk of running out of road salt, existing arrangements for supporting mutual aid between councils and trunk road operators would apply, in addition to ensuring that the relevant salt supplier was advised of the situation to inform its delivery schedules.

  The Scottish Government has established a Scottish Salt Cell, to support and advise councils and operators in managing the current supply and demand for salt, and to explore options for securing alternative supplies.

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether records and minutes are available of the discussions between public and private organisations and the Scottish Futures Trust, as stated on page four of the Scottish Futures Trust corporate plan 2009-2014.

John Swinney: I have asked Barry White, Chief Executive of the Scottish Futures Trust, to respond. His response is as follows:

  Many of the Scottish Futures Trust’s discussions between public and private organisations are focused on ensuring organisations are aware of the skills of SFT or are commercially sensitive and as a result records and minutes cannot always be made available.

Scottish Government Resilience Group

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the Scottish Government Resilience group and on how many occasions it has met since 22 December 2009.

Kenny MacAskill: As of 14 January 2010, the Cabinet Sub-Committee SGoRR had met 10 times during the current period of severe winter weather. The committee has been chaired by the First Minister and attendance has included a number of cabinet secretaries and ministers depending on how events have impacted across their portfolio responsibilities. Ministers are also supported in these meetings by a wide range of officials.

  In addition to meetings of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, the Scottish Government Resilience Room has supported a range of activity and further stakeholder discussions to support and advise Scotland’s public sector organisations during the recent period of severe winter weather.

Scottish Legal Aid Board

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is within which the Scottish Legal Aid Board should respond to enquiries from MSPs.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Legal Aid Board’s internal target for responding to correspondence from MSPs is 28 calendar days. The board has measures in place to manage and monitor the time taken to respond to correspondence.